Short Story: UAlbany wins its second consecutive America East title, dispatching UMass Lowell on the road in double-overtime.

Coach Gorman: We just kept going as the season’s gone on. We know we have a lot of experience from last postseason. This year we had to go on the road a couple of times, and this conference is one of the best in the country. I thought that was a really good soccer game today between two NCAA tournament teams. I’m so proud of the way our guys kept playing in a hostile environment. We controlled a lot of the game and created chances towards the end, and the goal was spectacular.

Andreas Assiotis: It was a great time for us, in the final, in extra time. It was a hard year because of my injury but I managed to score one goal and that goal was for the title.

Daniel Krutzen: This year was great. Last year we had the bye in the first round, but this year we had to play in the quarterfinals. We had two very hard games in the quarterfinals and semifinals, but we got through them. I feel like we’re really a family on the field and off the field.

Eleven minutes in, UMass Lowell’s Federico Ferre forced a turnover at the top of the UAlbany box, but the open shot went just wide left

Carlos Clark dribbled through three Riverhawks before ripping a shot high in the 71st minute

The UAlbany defense held up in the final six seconds of regulation, preventing a goal on a UMass Lowell free kick deep in UAlbany territory

The defense stepped up again in the 96th minute, clearing a ball bouncing around right in front of the UAlbany goal line

Andreas Assiotis scored the game-winning goal in the 103rd minute, his first career goal

Clark touched the ball to Assiotis at the top right corner of the UMass Lowell box, and Assiotis finished top left corner

Recap

For the second consecutive season, the University at Albany men’s soccer team won the America East championship. The Great Danes knocked off second-overall seed UMass Lowell on the road 1-0 in double overtime on freshman Andreas Assiotis’ first career goal.

In five career meetings with the Riverhawks, UAlbany has alternated wins and losses. Tonight was the second time this season that UAlbany has beaten UMass Lowell, after winning 1-0 to open America East play at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium on September 30. Each of the last three games between UAlbany and UMass Lowell has ended 1-0.

Through a scoreless first half, the Riverhawks outshot the Great Danes 3-0, but UAlbany drew the only three corner kicks of the first 45 minutes. UAlbany’s offense picked up the intensity in the second half, taking four shots, matching UMass Lowell’s tally. A scoreless second half led to the second overtime game for the Great Danes this postseason.

UMass Lowell’s best scoring opportunity came in the 96th minute on a broken play in UAlbany’s box. Despite the ball bouncing around near the UAlbany goal line, the Riverhawks were unable to make the final push among the sea of bodies and the Great Dane defense managed to clear the ball away from the mouth of the goal.

The first overtime passed without a score. In the second overtime, UAlbany increased the pressure, breaking through in the 103rd minute. Carlos Clark pushed the ball to the top right corner of the UMass Lowell box, where Assiotis was waiting. Assiotis took his shot, placing the ball into the far left corner of the net giving the game, and the title, to the Great Danes.